The Holy Spirit

Hey there Beautiful Souls, I know it’s been quite some time since I’ve posted, but I’m back and I am ready to share all that The Lord has been pouring into me. I took an unplanned break and at first, it was just me putting off posting because of how busy my schedule became in the blink of an eye. Then eventually I realized that my passion was being tested, along with my faith and identity. It awes me how God uses situations and things to get our attention, because I had to really pray and allow God to ignite the fire and reaffirm my identity in Him.

Before I get into it, I just want to say to those who have been waiting for new material, I truly apologize, unwanted circumstances come and time waits for not one single person. I know one thing that God wants me to be with my writings, is real! Transparent, but not in a sense that I spill my entire life and business, more so, not pretending that everything is perfect and always okay, because honestly, it’s not (lol). Sad to say but because we are still in the flesh, -well let me speak for myself- because I am still in the flesh, I deal with things the normal person deals with and sometimes how I react may not always be the best, but thank God for His grace and mercy right?!?

So, these last couple months have been interesting to say the least. I have been on an uphill, been pushed downhill. It has been beautiful and ugly, overwhelming and calming. Ajourney is what it feels like I’ve been on, and I am still on it.

During this journey process there has been a discovery of my true identity. The uttermost hidden areas have been resurfacing, so that I can truly be free. I mean, there were parts of me I thought were dead and gone, delivered and freed, healed and transformed, but randomly crept back up. It’s as if I’m on this long desert road and at the end I can see this mountain that I must climb in order to elevate closer to God.

However, as I’m traveling on this road attacks pop up, temptations rise; from memories that I’m tempted to dwell on, thoughts I’m fighting not to entertain.

I realized that in order to persevere, I must go back to the basics.

I thank God, I thank Him for His mercy, His grace, and His patience with me. Though there were times I wanted to give up, because I felt like I was not qualified anymore. It was like everything I had ever wrote about, preached about, talked about and encouraged others with was thrown at me full force.

From relationships, to friendships, to my job, to my blog, even down to my relationship with God. I wasn’t depressed, I wasn’t backsliding, I wasn’t blatantly sinning; I wasn’t running to the world, I was just simply under attack. I became weary from the responsibilities and burdens on my shoulders. I started to underestimate my calling and God’s love for me. I started asking God what was wrong with me? Why did I feel the way I felt?

Sometimes we put more on ourselves than God intended. Sometimes we take on tasks and assignments that God never gave to us. Sometimes we try to look the part when in actuality, our hearts are elsewhere. Sometimes we run ahead of God and bring unnecessary stress which then can resort to weariness.

Discipline… was the word that was in my spirit. I needed to discipline myself and learn to say no. I had to learn to prioritize my daily tasks. I had to learn to take a step back and observe what was really go around me. God never wants us to be stressed, to be weary, to feel like there is more on our plate than we can handle. I had to learn from Jesus. I had to go to Him and be real with how I was feeling. I had to give Him my burdens and take His yoke and light burden. I knew I had to go back to the basics. Pray, fast, read, repeat.

Remember… I had to remember who I was and whose I was. A child of God, whose sins have been forgiven, someone God seen worthy to bless with the precious gift of the Holy Ghost, and someone God trusted to share His Word through a distinctive gift. The perfect target for satan. I had to encourage myself up with God’s Word and remember that with being saved comes a fight. A fight for a peace of mind, and a daily death of my flesh. It’s not easy, but the sufferings of this present time are NOT worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us (Romans 8:18). Thank God for His Word.

Slow down… I had to slow down and be still in The Lord. I had to let God continue to do the work that He started in me. I had to let God continue to do the healing and sanctifying in me, that He started. I was trying to perfect my life and my walk in my own strength. Every time I would come up short in my eyes, I would feel inadequate and unqualified for God. Then I remembered that it is by grace through faith that I am saved, not what I do, how many ministries I am a part of, not how much I go to church… but through grace alone. I had to learn that God’s perfection and my perfection were different. As I began to slow down and allow The Lord to show me my truth, I was able to humble myself and repent for intentions and reasonings that were behind some of what I was doing.

I share this with you, to say that when life gets real, when your circumstances overwhelm you, when you lose sight of the unique path God has set before you, don’t give up! It will not be easy, I would be lying if I said it was, but it will be worth it to keep the hope. When we surrender our lives to God, we are also surrendering how we deal with life when it hits hard. Run to God and not this world, be real and personal with God in prayer, and let Him bring you out stronger and even more determined to live for Him whether life is going good or sour. When life gets real, it’s the perfect opportunity for your faith to grow stronger.

I thank God for the Holy Ghost! It truly is a comforter; my comforter.

As I grow in Christ and learn the simplicity of who God is, I am taken out of the sensationalism that is portrayed of living for God. I say that because, I have noticed that when it comes to the “Holy Spirit”, a lot of Christians get so wrapped up in the motions and just focus on the beautiful evidence of speaking in tongues. The true essence, power and benefits of The Holy Ghost tend to get overpowered by sensationalism. It gets to the point that I wonder if some believers that claim they have it, really have it, because it’s more than speaking in tongues, it’s a characteristic change within one’s self. People who speak in tongues and use that same mouth to curse someone, have a spirit, but I don’t think it’s the Holy Spirit. Hence the term “Holy” Spirit. –Spiritually speaking- there is a such thing as speaking in a tongue that is not from God, but that is another topic for another day.

These past 3 months, have taught me the depth of John 14:16:

“And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever. (17) Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him, for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you (18) I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you… (19-21)

…and it just goes on and on.

I now understand the fullness of those scriptures. I personally have experienced having comfort in the most trying times. Those times have taught me that The Holy Spirit is more than a feeling. It’s more than jumping up and down and running across the church, it’s more than all of that. Those are just in the moment emotions, and a lot can be imitations of what we have seen others do when they “catch the Holy Spirit”.

God did not send us His Spirit to put on the image of a Christian in church; it’s for living in the world. It’s to help us live a saved life in an unsaved world. It is to help us to be set apart and be holy.

See, the dangers of always relating it to an emotion or feeling is that when that feeling goes away, and you are put in a difficult situation, when you react in your flesh, you will question whether you still have it. When you sing at your church and you didn’t hit that note like you did last service when you left everyone “slain in the spirit”, you will question whether you are truly anointed. When you start praying and others expect you come with a prophetic word but you have nothing at the moment, you start to question yourself.

It’s more than a feeling.

A lot of Christians love and boast on the Holy Spirit when it helps them sing a song better or rather preach and teach better. However, I like to thank God for His spirit when I’m at work and I’m stressed out and it tugs on me to go to the bathroom and pray. Or the time when I’m alone in my room and the devil tries to tempt me or even my flesh tries to tempt me and the Holy Spirit brings scriptures to my memory that there is no temptation that is greater than my God that I cannot escape. Or the times when I’m driving home and feeling stressed from my busy schedule wondering how will I be able to balance everything out, and The Holy Spirit literally encourages me and speaks to me letting me know that I must be still and know who God is.

I always thought that having the Holy Ghost meant I would be on a high all the time with God. I thought it meant, I would have these super spiritual powers that would let me speak in tongues on demand, prophesy on demand, and pray heaven down on demand. I was so focused on the emotions of having the holy ghost, that I forgot the true essence of having it.

It is a gift, from God. It gives us the power to love the unloving. The joy to keep when we are faced with troubles. The peace to look to when everything seems chaotic. The power to endure struggles. The patience to wait on God. The ability to be slow to anger but quick to gentleness. The ability to do good when it’s so easy to do wrong. The faith to remember that God is not a man that He should lie, He will never leave nor forsake us as we step out on faith. The words to speak, the power to do what God has called us to do.

It is like having Jesus here when I feel like I’m alone. It is a teacher, a guider, and an encourager. It is our job as individuals to truly let God have His way in us through His Spirit. We limit God when we take the simplicity away from the gift. There is a special anointing that comes along with having The Holy Spirit. There are special benefits that come with having The Holy Spirit. We must get out of the sensationalism mindset that has been passed down to us and remember the simplicity of the power of the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-23 KJV

(22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, (23) Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

John 14:26 KJV

“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

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Welcome

My name is Brittany La'Vell, and welcome to Building A Beautiful Soul. Here you will find all things that make up a Jesus centered life; from encouraging biblical approaches to every day life, modest beauty and fashion tips, and healthy living. I pray that you are able to take with you, peace, love, and inspiration that leads you closer to Jesus. God bless!

Daily Scripture:

Proverbs 3:5-6

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ABOUT ME

My name is Brittany La'Vell, and welcome to Building A Beautiful Soul. Here you will find all things that make up a Jesus centered life; from encouraging biblical approaches to every day life, modest beauty and fashion tips, and healthy living. I pray that you are able to take with you, peace, love, and inspiration that leads you closer to Jesus. God bless!